Pictures of a Moment
by CPegasus
Summary: A series of Kyocentric oneshots on various subjects. Some contain Kyoru, but not all.
1. Ribbon

Hello, Fandom. Here I present hopefully the first of 20 ficlets that I did for a Livejournal challenge. I couldn't complete the challenge, but I do plan on eventually writing all 20 fics. Each fic was inspired by a prompt word, which appears as the title of the chapter. These are all Kyo-centric, many are Kyoru. Don't say I didn't warn you. Enjoy

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_Ribbon_

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She's standing in the kitchen, making dinner for us again. How the hell did Shigure and that damn Rat live here without her? I mean, I popped by every now and then to get a shot at Yuki, and I barely even knew there WAS a kitchen in here.

That yellow ribbon in her hair is coming loose again. It's all frayed, she's had it so long. She wears it practically every day. I walk up behind her, and tug on it.

"Where'd you get this ratty old thing anyway?" I ask.

She jumps. Pretty high. "Kyo-kun! You startled me," she says, catching her breath.

"I what? Come on, you can't be THAT easily scared!"

"I'm sorry, Kyo-kun! I'll...I'll try to do better!" She stands tall, with a fist pumped in the air. She looks so dumb, but I can't help smiling. And then laughing, as the timer on the rice cooker goes off, and she trips over herself trying to get to it. I turn it off for her, and then help her to her feet.

"Really, when did you get it?" I ask again, pulling on the ribbon until it comes off in my hand.

She takes it back from me, without saying anything about my taking it. I wonder why she never seems to mind. I'd sure as hell be mad if someone tried to touch something of mine.

"Yuki-kun gave it to me, at the hot springs, remember? When Momiji took us all there for White Day."

"That long ago? Tohru, it's practically broken. It's garbage."

This time, she stops my hand when I go to take it. "It's just worn in. I don't mind it being a little old." She smiles that big, doofy smile again. "But thank you, Kyo-kun!"

I start to ask her what she's thanking me for, but I give it up. She never makes all that much sense, anyway.

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The days must be getting longer. I'm on my way to pick her up from work, and there's still sunlight. I'm still a little early. She probably won't be done when I get there. And those weird people she works with'll probably just stand there staring at me. Again. Practically drooling. Yeah, like I don't notice.

I take the long way around. The more I can put off getting there, the better. I don't think I've been down this street before. Weird. I thought I knew this place by now.

There's a little shop on the corner. I can't tell from here what it's selling, so I go to look closer. It's all girly stuff. Jewelry and stuff. It looks nice though. Isn't her birthday coming up or something? Maybe I should try and remember this place. I mean, even if it's not. I can come back.

What the hell. I still have time to kill. No one I know is around to see me walk into a girly shop. I walk in and look around.

It isn't until I get near the register that I stop to look at something. I check the price tag, digging around in my pocket for some spare coins. It's enough.

It's perfect.

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She's still not out when I get to the building. Good. I'll just wait out here until—

There she is.

"Kyo-kun! You came to pick me up!"

"Yeah, I know." That damn ribbon is still in her hair. I had forgotten before that it was the damn Rat who gave it to her. Well, whatever. Just wait until she sees it...

She looks at the bag. "Did you go shopping, Kyo-kun? What did you get?"

"Something for you." I'd kinda wanted to save it for something more special, but now that she's seen.

I reach into the bag and pull out another ribbon. It's bright orange, just a little lighter than my own hair. And there's a pattern of rice-balls with little stick limbs on it.

"Oh! Kyo-kun, I love it!" She unties the ratty, yellow ribbon. For a minute, I think she's gonna get rid of it, but she puts it lightly between her lips while her hands work on re-doing her hair. She makes a pigtail and ties my ribbon around it. "If fo furfeh—" When I start laughing, she must realize that I can't understand a word she's saying. She takes the other ribbon and ties the rest of her long hair. "It's so perfect, Kyo-kun! Thank you so much!"

She grabs my hand. My beads clink against a little gold bracelet around her wrist. I blush just a little, and we walk home together.


	2. Piano

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_Piano_

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7-year-old Kyo was still a kitten when he transformed. He was exhausted after his first day of real training with Kazuma, but he was anxious to see all that he could. Kazuma's house was the first place that he had ever felt accepted in. Still, his little cat paws treaded softly, almost shyly, around the house.

He poked around into different rooms, finally coming across a strange piece of furniture that he'd never seen before. Kyo the kitten looked up, taking in the odd wooden thing. There was a short bench in front of it, above a few gleaming pedals near the floor. Kyo pressed one of them down, but nothing happened. Jumping up to the bench, after a few tries, he looked at the rows of black and white keys in front of him.

There had never been much time for music in Kyo's life. Neither of his parents had played an instrument, and he'd never really been far from the house. So, he had no way of knowing about the loud, clanging chords that would result from his jumping up onto the keys.

Kyo slipped off of the keys in his panic, falling right back down to the floor. His soft ears were ringing with the dissonant notes. He jumped back up to the stool, sitting down and staring at the keyboard.

"You're not gonna beat me that easy," he growled, and started plunking on the keys again. He could only swat at them with one paw, while he sat on the other three, but he was able to figure out the basics of the instrument. Not that a piano is difficult to figure out. Bits of orange fur started to catch between the black and white keys, as Kyo explored the different sounds further.

"Who's in here?" Kyo froze as he heard the voice, and accompanying footsteps. He jumped off the piano and streaked away, a flash of orange fur and scrambling nails. The door, already open a crack, creaked across the floor, and revealed Kazuma. He stepped into the room, looking around.

Kyo had barricaded himself behind a small table, waiting for the reprimand he was sure would come. His fluffy tail poked out from the table legs, twitching slightly.

Kazuma smiled gently as he knelt down beside the table. "Kyo? What are you doing under there?" The little ball of fur didn't respond, and Kazuma knew better than to drag him out. He had spent many hours of his life coaxing shy young students into letting themselves go, and he could tell that nothing would be gained by forcing Kyo to leave his hiding place. Instead, he stood up and went back over to the piano.

He sat on the bench, flexing his fingers. Poising his hands over the keys, Kazuma looked back at Kyo, who had poked his head out around the table, and who quickly pulled it back. Kazuma smiled as he began to play. His hands ran across the length of the piano, scurrying to reach the right keys in time. Far from the discordant notes that Kyo had produced, Kazuma's music was soothing and smooth. Little Kyo couldn't help but watch, and slowly inch himself out of the corner.

"Shishou, I didn't know you could do that," he said in awe, when Kazuma had finished.

"There's a lot about me that you don't know, Kyo-kun," He answered, picking the tiny kitten up. "But I'm sure that we'll get to know each other very well, from now on."

Carrying the little cat, Kazuma left the room and quietly closed the door.


	3. Sleepwalk

_Sleepwalk_

A dark light. I see a dark light over in the distance. It's shining, somehow. It's kind of a long way away, but I can see it. It must be huge.

I'm standing here in my PJ's—well, pants, anyway—and...is that _me_ walking by? My cat form. He just glared at me. This is too weird.

I guess I better follow him. He's going to the light. It's a long way away. Weird, I can't hear his claws tapping on the ground. Or my feet, for that matter. There's something...off about all this.

I stop in front of what looks like a statue. No, _I_ don't stop, my cat form stops. I stop behind him.

It's...my mother...

My teeth are grinding. Even the memory of her makes me angry. My fists clench. God, even just seeing that statue tenses me up, heightens all my senses. I never got to settle things with her. God I wish I could...

Then the statue explodes.

I have to duck to avoid a big piece of marble coming at me. There's something coming out of the base, where the statute was. Some kind of gas, or aura. It's the same kind of stuff as whatever the dark light is. It goes over to the cat, and sinks into its fur. He doesn't even seem to notice, but I see a weird black tint starting to color him.

He starts moving again, and I follow him. Another statue. I can tell this one from further away, I've seen that ugly mug so many times. That damn rat.

I go running right for his head, and kick it clean off. It feels amazing to finally do that to him. But as soon as I do, this statue also crumbles. And a real rat crawls out of the rubble.

I can't even pick myself up from the ground (I must have fallen when the thing shattered) before my cat form jumps on the rodent. I see his claws and teeth rip into the white hair and the naked tail. The cat rips the rat open, and that same weird aura comes out. This time it looks like he can feel whatever it is sinking into his skin. His whiskers are twitching. That tint gets darker.

We keep walking.

There it is: the dark light. It's hypnotizing, the way it swirls like that. It's like a void, or something. That orange me walks right up close, but I'm hanging back a bit. There's something about it that isn't right. Well, okay, no duh. But still.

The cat paws at the light. His hand gets stuck, and he tries to pull it out. I can see some weird goo on his fur. His tail is sticking straight up; I can feel my own hair rising at the back of my neck. The cat starts panicking. It looks like he's getting sucked in...No...pulled in...

By a hand...

Akito.

I can see him now. Right in the middle of the swirl. He's beckoning to me, not the cat me, but the me me. I take a step back.

The cat keeps struggling. It's not gonna work. Akito's got him. That goo is hardening all over his fur, he's trapped. Eventually, he just sinks into the dark light.

And now Akito's holding him again, inside the light. He's clean. He looks almost happy but...No, I know better. He's given up. Just lying there.

Akito stares at me. His mouth doesn't move, but I hear his voice echoing all around me.

"You know your destiny, Kyo. Why do you fight so hard against it? It's useless. Like you."

Something starts to come out of the portal. Ropes and threads of that horrible black goo, coming toward me. I step back, I try to dodge, I try to fight them. But they've got me.

It hurts...Dammit! Everywhere they've got me, it hurts!

"The pain only comes when you try to be strong," he says. "If you'll just accept how worthless you are, the pain will go away."

"No way!" I hear myself yell. Even though I really don't remember saying anything.

More pain! I have to still be yelling; I'm trying to keep my mouth shut. It's so strong...I'm...I'm getting weaker...

Okay, that's enough! This is too much! I...wait a second. This has to be...I must be...

"Kyo?"  
"Ah!"

Dreaming.

I shake my head a few times, trying to clear it. Tohru's in front of me. She looks worried.

"Kyo-kun, it's four in the morning! What are you doing in the kitchen?"

"Whu?" I mumble, rubbing my eyes.

"Oh, you must have been sleepwalking. You should be more careful, Kyo-kun!"

She's trying to scold me. If I weren't so tired, maybe I'd be annoyed. "Well what about you then? What're you doin' up?"

"Oh, well, Shigure-san wanted a snack, so—"

"Nevermind." She stops talking. Dammit, why do I always do that? I swear I don't mean to be so hard on her. My hands in the pockets of my pants, I start walking back to the stairs and my room. She turns around to start cooking.

"Tohru?"

"What is it, Kyo-kun?"

"I...thanks for waking me up." Before she can say anything else, I go up the steps. She always does wake me from my nightmares.


	4. Eden

_Eden_

There has to be an Eden somewhere. A perfect place, just for me. There has to be some remote spot, where I can just be by myself, forever. No family looking over my shoulder, no relatives whispering behind my back, no kids crowding around me or adults shunning me. My Eden is just me, and some space to live. Maybe Shishou. He could come and visit. And maybe Tohru. But no one else.

The closest I ever got to Eden was the time Shishou and I spent training in the mountains. That was just about perfect. Just the two of us, working hard every day, catching our own food, living apart from everyone else. Shishou is the only adult I've ever known who didn't look disgusted when he saw me. He treated me like a son. He helped teach me what I needed to know, in order to get what I wanted. Sure, maybe I still haven't beaten Yuki, but damned if I'm not going to one day, with Shishou's help. Those few months were paradise.

I remember one day on the mountain when we were swimming in the river. The current was fast, but I thought I could handle it. I'd done so much training, I thought I was strong enough that nothing could beat me—no rat, no cow, no river either. Before Shishou could stop me, I'd jumped in and been washed away. He ran next to the river for a good half a mile before I was finally close enough to the shore that he could pull me out. I got one of those long talks that day. To tell the truth, I still kind of expected him to yell at me. But he just sat next to me with a towel that night, drying my hair, and saying how he hoped I'd learned my lesson.

"True wisdom is knowing what you don't know," he said. As in, I should've known how much I could take before I tried to take it.

I stayed up on the mountain when Shishou left. I wasn't strong enough yet. And I didn't want to go back home. I'm really grateful that Shishou let me stay. He never treats me like a little kid who doesn't know any better. He just lets me figure that out for myself. It must have been another week or two that I just stayed there alone. Kicking trees all day wasn't as satisfying though, without anyone there to help teach me. I didn't learn half as much without Shishou around.

But now that I'm back here, it doesn't help much to know that I once had an Eden. Things've been better, since I started living with Shigure. I don't have to hide all the time, always by myself. I mean, I like my alone time, but it sucks to have nothing else. Maybe Eden isn't as much about the place. Maybe it's just that feeling you get, when you know everything's the way it should be.


	5. Supernova

_Supernova_

"Hurry, Kyo-kun! You're going to miss it!" Tohru yelled, as she dashed outside the Sohma house. It was night, and a darker one than usual. She had a pair of thick sunglasses with her, matching the ones that Yuki and Shigure had on out on the roof.

"It's his own fault if he misses it," Shigure said lazily. "Don't worry so much, Tohru-kun."

"But he won't get to see the supernova!" Tohru protested, standing at the bottom of the ladder.

From the roof, she could hear Shigure's radio still playing. "...and once again, we remind all our listeners to please turn their lights off for the next ten minutes. Witnessing the explosion of a supernova is a once-in-a-lifetime experience, so don't be a jerk and let everyone else watch."

"You know, I rather like this station," Shigure remarked.

"Kyo-kun!"

"I'm coming, I'm coming!" Kyo yelled. "I can't find the damn glasses."

"Well let me help you," Tohru said cheerfully, beginning to climb back down the ladder.

"Don't bother," called Yuki from the other end of the roof. "If you go back in, chances are you're going to miss the explosion, too."

Tohru climbed down, anyway.

She walked back into the kitchen to see Kyo tearing the room apart. He was looking over and under everything, tossing papers and appliances around him.

Tohru only had to walk a few more feet to see the glasses, resting inside the blender.

"Here they are! But how...?"

"Oh, right." Kyo pulled the glasses out, wiping small bits of old food from the lenses. "Yuki wanted to give you a break, so he tried making dinner while you were at work."

Tohru blinked. "But...that doesn't...why are they...eh?"

"Oh, nevermind now. Come on, we're gonna miss the explosion."

"Ah! Right!"

They could distantly hear the radio counting down. "ten...nine...eight..."

"Come on!" Tohru grabbed Kyo's wrist and pulled him outside. "Put them on!" She grabbed the sunglasses out of his hand and started to place them on his face.

"What about you!" Kyo snatched the glasses back and shoved them on. "Don't you go messing up your eyes because you're too dumb to put your own glasses on!"

"Ah! You're right! I'm so—"

"JUST PUT THEM ON!"

"...three...two...one..." Tohru's glasses found their way to her eyes, and they both turned quickly on the ground to look up in the right direction. And then...

BOOM

The sky flashed bright as daylight. No sound came through, no wind stirred the trees, and yet everyone watching would have sworn that they'd heard the blast.

"Wow..." Kyo stopped dead in his tracks, just staring at the sky. His head remained craned back long after the light had left the sky. His eyes glimmered with awe, and his mouth hung slightly open. He just stared, hypnotized by the night sky.

"Kyo?" Tohru put a hand on his shoulder, and Kyo shook his head.

"That's it!" He yelled. Tohru stepped back as Kyo raised his arm, shaking a fist at the stars. "That's what I've got to be!"

Shigure poked his head over the edge of the roof. "Kyo, what are you yelling about now?"

"I'm gonna be that powerful!" Kyo's eyes seemed to shine nearly as brightly as the supernova itself had. "I'm gonna take all that power and use it all for me!"

"Go for it, Kyo-kun!" Tohru cheered.

"How pathetic," Yuki said, not even bothering to look in Kyo's direction. "You'd need the power of a whole star to even have a shot at beating me."

"Hey, shut up!" Kyo turned his attention to the roof. "Just you wait, you damn rat! One of these days..."

The stars still twinkled overhead, as though they were recovering from the shock of the blast. Even after the explosion itself had gone, the effects lived on.


End file.
